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  1. SableWyvern

    How long before VTTs support TTRPGs with AI GMs?

    Not in any meaningful sense. I would much prefer to play with a bad GM who is a friend and doing their best in good faith, than spend time trying to game with an LLM. I could have plenty of fun with the former. If you're talking about a bad GM I don't like, running a bad game I don't enjoy...
  2. SableWyvern

    Which "Tactical" TTRPG Would Work Best As An X-Com Like?

    To provide a bit more detail, I made use primarily of GURPS 4e, Psionics, Tactical Shooting, High-Tech and Ultra Tech. I also took a little from Biotech. I developed my own research tree, where the players allocated points to available options. As per the traditional X-Com game, some projects...
  3. SableWyvern

    Which "Tactical" TTRPG Would Work Best As An X-Com Like?

    What do you mean when you say it doesn't reward tactical play? Use the right set of optional rules, and you can expect the application of real world infantry minor tactics to result in consistent and believable outcomes. If we're focusing on the use of special abilities used in power-combos...
  4. SableWyvern

    Which "Tactical" TTRPG Would Work Best As An X-Com Like?

    When I ran a combat-focused X-Com game, I used GURPS. Half the missions were investigation, VIP protection, recon and generally more conventional RPG-type scenarios. The other half of the sessions were pretty much just straight-up combat from session start to finish -- downed-UFO clearing...
  5. SableWyvern

    D&D 5E (2024) How can I do a Charisma-Investigation (or a Strength/Dexterity-Investigation if I can't use Charisma) to find a secret door?

    If you can just use any stat you want for any task you want, you might as well just dump the lot and give everyone a single, fixed "competence" value.
  6. SableWyvern

    OSR How to make dungeon crawls interesting

    I'm a big fan of plenty of empty space, especially between factions, to enable PCs and other forces to manoeuvre. Secret paths into, out of or past particular areas also provide strategic options.
  7. SableWyvern

    OSR How to make dungeon crawls interesting

    The things that make a dungeoncrawl interesting tend to be the things that make D&D interesting in general. Factions, mysteries, exploration, a variety of challenges and obstacles, a sense of purpose. I would start by discarding kick-kill-loot as the basic gameplay loop and, as @Whizbang...
  8. SableWyvern

    D&D General Forgotten Realms - why do you still like running games here? +

    My impression taken from the 1e material is that Waterdeep, at least, is already cosmopolitan and that people there already associate with "monster" races (coming up from underneath, I assume, as a posse of orcs aren't likely to get the same benefit of the doubt while frolicking about in the...
  9. SableWyvern

    D&D General Forgotten Realms - why do you still like running games here? +

    A quick search finds me another thread by the prolific Yora (this time on rpg.net), where he points out the following substantial changes just between 1e's FR5 Savage Frontier and 2e's The North: Unless 3e rolled things back (which, as far as I'm aware, didn't happen), the differences are only...
  10. SableWyvern

    D&D General Forgotten Realms - why do you still like running games here? +

    Lots of FR posts on his blog here. Discussion of FR5 on EnWorld here.
  11. SableWyvern

    D&D General Forgotten Realms - why do you still like running games here? +

    I've only liked the idea of running games in the Forgotten Realms for less than a year (including a single, solitary session so far, with the second scheduled for this weekend), so I'd say it's a bit early for me to bored or over it. 😏 I am using the 1e boxed set and FR5 Savage Frontier as my...
  12. SableWyvern

    D&D General Why wouldn't you run a Dark Sun game?

    There is certainly a bit of that. I'm not sure as to the truth of it, but I've heard it said the authors didn't want to include the traditional races at all. When management ruled that they must, the results we got were a form of malicious compliance. Whether that particular story is accurate...
  13. SableWyvern

    Violence and (Geek) Entertainment

    It was a brief anecdote related to the topic, not a detailed analysis of the situation. It appears I may have made it seem more extreme situation when it was. While my basic reaction to his response was, "you reap what you sow", I did take his comments on board as a reminder not to go too...
  14. SableWyvern

    Violence and (Geek) Entertainment

    Edit: Never mind, better off just moving on rather than responding.
  15. SableWyvern

    Violence and (Geek) Entertainment

    My brother plays in an occasional OSR/Stonehell game I run for my niece and nephew (ages around 9 and 11). I don't tend to adjust the way I run the game for the kids (I'm a little more circumspect in some areas, but overall, not a huge difference). Last session, my niece used a sleep spell on...
  16. SableWyvern

    Dungeons & Dragons Releases New Unearthed Arcana Subclasses, Strongly Hinting at Dark Sun

    The Veilled Alliance can be allies, enemies or both. Druids, merchants/merchant houses, outlying communities (human or otherwise), slavers. Kreen tribes. Internal noble and templar factions fighting over trade, logging rights or whatever. That's just off the top of my head and, if that's not...
  17. SableWyvern

    D&D General How much Ars Magica is in Dungeons and Dragons 3e?

    I can see a little bit of Rolemaster influence in 3e, but absolutely nothing from Ars Magica. Casters were progressively having many of their limitations removed over the course of previous editions. 3e continued this process and combined this with revamping the save system so that spells...
  18. SableWyvern

    Dungeons & Dragons Releases New Unearthed Arcana Subclasses, Strongly Hinting at Dark Sun

    No idea. Haven't played and know almost nothing about BG3. Although I'm not sure why a BG3 character would prove anything about templars in Dark Sun. As I've mentioned elsewhere, I stopped caring about Dark Sun canon after the Ivory Triangle boxed set. Even if it happens to support my position...
  19. SableWyvern

    Dungeons & Dragons Releases New Unearthed Arcana Subclasses, Strongly Hinting at Dark Sun

    Did you miss the part where I mentioned being indoctrinated into Nibenays cult from childhood? That's not "signing up" that's "being signed over". Edit: No you didn't. Look, if you have decided all templars must be extra-evil, all well and good. You can feel that way if you want. I think there...
  20. SableWyvern

    Dungeons & Dragons Releases New Unearthed Arcana Subclasses, Strongly Hinting at Dark Sun

    I haven't read it, and I'm not generally a fan of SK redemption arcs (unless somehow initiated by PCs), but that's just my personal take and I agree with your general point that there is room in Dark Sun for it. Certainly, the general ideas people seem to have regarding "What is a templar?" (as...
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